Exhaust box



ep 6, 3 F. w. FETTERMAN EXHAUST BOX Filed Jan. 16, 1931 INVENTOR. W/Zf/Zrmmz f wz/wJw ATTORNEYS.

WHOHOHQHOHOHOW filled cans is effected.

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK W. FETTERMAN, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBY, MCNEILL &

LIIBIBY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF MAINE EXHAUST BOX Application filed January 16, 1931. Serial No. 509,228.

My invention relates to the canningor preserving of foodstuffs as effected by modern canneries' and particularly to that step in which the operation of exhausting air from In the present systems of canning it has been found expedient before closing the filled cans to submit them to a heating treatment for the purpose of removing air therefrom.

m The purpose in doing this is trifold. Reduction of corrosion of the tin plate, which is used in most cans, is efi'ected; a vacuum is produced in the can to render its ends concave, indicating its sound condition; and undue strain upon the can during sterilization is prevented. This operation is termed exhausting and the apparatus in which it is performed is termed the exhaust box.

Several types of exhaust boxes have been devised to perform this operation. Since better results are obtained by a long exhaust at a moderate temperature than by a short exhaust at a high temperature, an exhaust box which will handle the largest amount of cans without taking up undue space is desirable, and the disc type box has been found one of the best for this purpose.

It is, however, an object of this invention to provide an exhaust box in which a larger number of cans can be handled than is possible with existing devices of this nature.

It is another object of the invention to provide an exhaust box of the disc type in which a plurality of rows of cans may progress simultaneously therethrough.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an exhaust box in which cans from a single run conveyor may be fed into the multiple runs of the exhaust box.

It is still another object of the invention to provide means for maintaining the cans in each of the runs in close relationship.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of exhaust box of this invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification.

. haust box.

Broadly, the invention comprises an exhaust box of the disc type in which a plu-' r ality of objects are enabled to progress through said box at the same time.

- More specifically,'the invention as shown in the drawing comprises a plurality of guiding means arranged in connection with an exhaust box of thedisc type, for enabling progression of two rows of cans through said box, means at the entrance to said exhaust box for alternately selecting said cans from a single run conveyor and feedingthe cans into said rows, and means for maintaining said cans as closely adjacent each other in said rows as possible.

As shown in the drawing, the exhaust box comprises a housing 2 mounted upon any suitable base. Disposed within this'housing are a plurality of discs 3 each of said discs being rotatable with a shaft 4. The discs are arranged in series and with the exception of the first and last disc, each disc is provided on its edge with teeth 6 which engage the teeth of the adjoining disc.

The discs are operated from any suitable driving means such as the driveshaft 7 which is connected by bevel gears 9 110 the shaft 11 of the initial disc 12. For purposes hereinafter disclosed the initial disc 12 and a discharge disc li'are rotated at speeds greater To enable this result to be I j 18 are the discs 12 and 14 which consequently overlap the adjoining discs.

As in the usual disc-type exhaust box, in my exhaust box being disclosed the cans are carried from the inlet 19 to the outlet 21 of.

the box by the rotating discs, successive ones the cans. over' the rotating discs are three parallel strips 22, '23 and 2 l' which provide double runs 26 and 27 inwhich the cans may progress. These strips are arranged S1Il11011S-' progress on of ob ects through said box com 1y alternating from theoutside to the inside of each of the discs sons to followtheirdirection of rotation; Thewidth of the two 7 rows created by the strips is approximately equal to the radii of the discs. 7 Since ordinarily but one row of cans is conveyed to the exhaust box, means have been provided for alternately selecting and feeding cans from the single run conveyor 28 to the double runs in the exhaust box. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a feed tripping device 29 having a finger 31 and a body portion 32is shown. The finger por .tion 31of the feed tripper 2'9 is arranged adjacent the single run conveyor 28 'whilethe body portion 32 of the feed tripper is arranged adjacent the double runs of the ex vh aust box. .Although it is normally rotatablev upon a shaft 33., the feed tripperisrestricted in travel by an elongated slot 34 in the end of the body-portion and which engages a pin 36.

In the operation of the exhaust box, as

shown in the drawing, cans are brought on thesingle run conveyor 28 to; the inlet 19 of the box. As a can slides fromthe conveyor onto the initial disc 12 it engages the side 37 of the body portion 32 of the feed tripper 2 9 forcing it out of its position at the head of; runway 26 and allowing the can to slip through into the runway. As the body portion 32 pivots on shaft 33 the finger 31 is likewise pivoted so that after the can-has passed into runway 26, the finger 31 acts as a closure'for that runway and the body portion 32 is positioned at the head of runway 27. The next can, being diverted from I runway 26 by the finger 31 engages the side 38 of. the body portion 32 and forces it back rotated at a speed greater than the speed of the remaining discs, sothat the cans may leave the exhaust box without the outlet of the box becoming clogged.

I claim:

1. In an exhaust box having a plurality of rotatable discs connectedinseries and multiple runways in which objects may progress in the same direction simultaneously over said disc, an initial disc and a discharge disc rotatable at speeds. greater than the speeds of the remaining discs.

2. In an exhaust box, means for effecting for alternatelyfeeding objects to said run- .ways, the initial and discharge discs of said series being rotatable at speeds greater than the speeds of the remaining discs.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRA K w. .FETTERMAN.

into runway 26. It will be seen that in this manner the cans on the single conveyor 28 willbe alternately placed in the double runways 26 and 27 of the exhaust box. v So'that the cans will follow each other closely through the exhaust box, the initial disc 12 isrotated at a speed greater than the s eect of rotation of the remaining discs, herefore, as the can leave'sthe initial disc 12, and passes onto the slower revolving discs 3', its speed is slackened, so that the next can selected will be-given a chance to catch' up v with it.. The discharge disc 14 is likewise are 

